Quick-detachable outrigger fishing device

ABSTRACT

Slidably mounted between fixed stops on a drop wire weighted at its lower end with a sinker is a helical coiled wire spring having a diameter sufficiently larger than the diameter of the drop wire or leader to permit the sidewise displacement of the spring. This displacement provides a sufficient clearance therebetween to permit the insertion of the reversely-bent end portion of the vertical arm of an L-shaped outrigger. The elongated approximately horizontal arm of the outrigger carries at its outer end a quick-operating coupling for a fish hook or for the leader of a fish hook. The outrigger is releasably secured to the spring by means of the reversely-bent end portion of the vertical arm.

United States Patent Schenavar et al.

[54] QUICK-DETACHABLE OUTRIGGER FISHING DEVICE [72] Inventors: Harold E. Schenavar, 18696 Inkster Road, Detroit, Mich. 48240; Irving L. Pierce, 11363 Garfield, Detroit, Mich. 48239 [22] Filed: May 10, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 141,845

[52] US. Cl. ..43/43.l5, 43/4274, 43/4484 [51] Int. Cl. ..A0lk 91/04 [58] Field of Search.....43/43.15, 42.74, 44.84, 44.85

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 289,612 12/1883 Bollermann ..43/44.84

801,649 10/1905 Cofiin ..43/43.15 UX 2,352,631 7/1944 Guamieri ..43/42.74 2,492,638 12/ 1 949 Hickson ..43/42.74 2,763,955 9/1956 Mead ..43/43.15 X 2,769,270 1 ll 1956 Williams ..43/42.74 3,217,443 11/ 1965 Goodman ..43/42.74 X

[151 3,703,047 [451 Nov. 21, 1972 3,421,250 1/1969 Krieg ..43/42.74

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 854,885 l/1940 France ..43/43.15

Primary Examiner-Samuel Koren Assistant Examiner-James l-l. Czerwonky Attorney-Barthel & Bugbee [5 7] ABSTRACT Slidably mounted between fixed stops on a drop wire weighted at its lower end with a sinker is a helical coiled wire spring having a diameter sufficiently larger than the diameter of the drop wire or leader to permit the sidewise displacement of the spring. This displacement provides a sufficient clearance therebetween to permit the insertion of the reversely-bent end portion of the vertical arm of an L-shaped outrigger. The elongated approximately horizontal arm of the outrigger carries at its outer end a quick-operating coupling for a fish hook or for the leader of a fish hook. The outrigger is releasably secured to the spring by means of the reversely-bent end portion of the vertical arm.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures P'A'TE'NTEDuuv 21 m2 FIGI HAROLD E. SCHENAVAR IRVING L. PIERCE QUICK-DETACIIABLE OUTRIGGER FISHING DEVICE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The outrigger of the present inventionis quickly and easily attached to the drop wire by grasping the spring between the thumb and forefinger of one hand and pressing it to one side of the drop wire while pushing the reversely-bent end of the vertical outrigger arm upward (FIG. 2) through the clearance space thus provided between the spring and the drop wire and then compressing the spring (FIG. 3) to move the reverselybent end of the arm outside of the spring, whereupon the spring is released (FIG. 1) and attachment is completed. Detachment is as quickly and easily made by again pressing the spring to one side of the drop wire while pressing it downward between the thumb and forefinger sufficiently to clear the reversely-bent upper end of the vertical arm of the outrigger and permit it to be pushed laterally into the interior of the spring. The vertical arm is then pulled downward and moved laterally out of the interior of the spring while the spring is held upward against the upper stop by the thumb and forefinger.

This invention thus gives quick interchangeability of outriggers of different lengths for the different requirements, in inland lake fishing, of casting, trolling, still fishing or chugging, provides ease and compactness of packaging of display by the dealer-and for storage in the tackle box of the fisherman, such as in a plastic tube. A quick change of lures for rapid adaptation to different fishing conditions is also obtained. In moving from one fishing location to another, the fisherman when using live bait such as a minnow can quickly detach the outrigger carrying the hook and minnow and place this assembly bodily inside the minnow bucket to keep the minnow alive while so moving. This invention also permits fishing to be carried out by the use of the drop wire either alone or with outriggers or with different drop wires having different fish-attracting elements such as spinners, without having to duplicate the outriggers which have been previously permanently attached to each drop wire. Moreover, in the present invention, when a fish strikes, the pull arising therefrom is downward upon the horizontal arm of the outrigger so that the reversely-bent upper end of the vertical arm thereof grips the uppermost convolutions of the spring more tightly, with the result that accidental detachment of the outrigger from the drop wire cannot occur. Finally, by the use of the same outriggers with different lengths of drop lines, fishing can be carried out at difierent levels above the bottom, according to the nature of the bottom and of the feeding habits of the fish. In the drawings,

4 FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to one form of the invention; a

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of the central portion of FIG. 1 but showing the vertical arm of the outrigger at the start of its insertion into the coil s rm FK i. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the spring compressed, its upper convolutions pulled away from the upper stop, and the reversely-bent upper end of the vertical outrigger arm pushed outside of the spring through the clearance space thus provided; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, but showing the initial lateral displacement of the spring as well as its being pushed downward away from the upper stop to permit detachment of the vertical arm of the outrigger, terminating in the complete detachment of the outrigger from the drop wire.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIG. 1 shows a quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, generally designated 10, consisting generally of a short compression coil spring 12 detachably holding an L-shaped outrigger l4 and mounted upon a vertical drop wire 16 having an eye 18 and a separable coupling 20 formed 1 upon its upper and lower ends respectively. A fishing line 22 is tied to the upper eye 18. Secured as by crimping tiny copper sleeves or short tubes in verticallyspaced relationship on the drop wire 16 are pairs of fixed stops 24 and 26 disposed respectively above and below an upper bearing head 28 and lower bearing beads 30, 32 and 34, these beads being rotatably mounted on the drop wire 16 and rotatably supporting the helical compression coil spring 12. The spring 12 is smaller in diameter than the beads 28 and 30 but sufficiently larger in diameter than the drop wire 16 to provide an interior space 36 giving radial clearance 38 therebetween (FIGS. 2 and 4). Detachably mounted on' the separablecoupling 22 of the drop wire 16 is the eye 40 ofa sinker 42 (FIG. 1). I

The outer end of the outrigger 14 carries the snell or leader 46 having the fish hook 48 attached to its lower end. The outrigger 14 includes a relatively short vertical upper arm 50 terminating in a reversely-bent upper end 52 and connected integrally at its lower end to an elongated approximately-horizontal lower arm 54 at a bend 56 therebetween.

In order that the lower arm 54 of the outrigger 14 with the hook 48 and bait thereon will not droop excessively below its connection 56 with the upper arm 50, the present inventors have found that disposing the lower and upper arms 54 and 50 relatively to one another at an acute angle of approximately accomplishes this object. The reversely-bent end 52 is smaller in width than the clearance 38 between the drop wire 16 and the coil spring 12 (FIG. 4) to. permit quick detachment in the manner described below. The length of the vertical or upperarm 50 is less than the relaxed length of the coil spring 12 so thatthe latter effectively locks the arm 50 firmly in position during use. The present inventors have found by actual tests and experience that a stainless steel spring wire having a diameter of 0.018 of an inch is sufficiently strong and flexible for outriggers 14 to be used in fishing for small and medium-sized fish, such as perch, pickeral and bass, whereas such wire having a diameter of 0.050 of an inch is suitable for fishing for coho salmon.

The approximately-horizontal lower arm 54 ter-. minates at its outer end in the eye 58 of a separable hook coupling 60 which, like the auxiliary separable coupling 20, continues in a reversely-bent portion 61 terminating in an oppositely-bent end 62. The latter, like the reversely-bent end 52 of the vertical or upper arm 50 with respect to the coil spring 36 thereof, is of less width than the clearance 64 between the combined thicknesses of the horizontal arm 54 and its reverselybent portion 61, and the inside diameter of the helical coil compression spring 66 surrounding the portions 54 and 61 adjacent the eye 58, which is of course of larger diameter than the spring 66 so as to serve as an abutment therefor. The hook snell or leader 46 terminates at its upper end in a loop 68 encircling the eye 58 and at its lower end in a loop 70 passing through the eye 72 of the fish hook 48. It will be understood, of course, that the hook 48 may have a conventional eyeless connection with its leader 46. It will also be understood that the drop wire unit 16 may also carry conventional lures, such as spinners (not shown) and may also have conventional swivels (also not shown) mounted adjacent the upper eye 18 and lower eyes 40 and 20 of the drop wire 16. These conventional features have been omitted because they are well known to those skilled in the fishing art and would unnecessarily add complexity to the showing.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the coil spring 12 has been slidably mounted upon the drop wire 16 between the fixed stops 24 and 26 and the bearing beads 28, 30, 32 and 34 (FIG. 1) and that the fixed stops 24 and 26 have been secured in their proper positions upon the drop wire 16 by crimping the short copper tubes of which they consist. To attach the outrigger 14 to'the drop wire 16, the operator grasps outrigger 14 and its hook 48 from the drop wire 16. The loop 68 of the hook leader 46 is detached from the outer end of the outrigger 14 by compressing the spring 66 against the eye 58 and at the same time moving the compressed spring 66 laterally in order to provide sufficient clearance between it and the arm 54 for the passage of the spring 66 over the reversely-bent end 62 of the portion 60 until the spring 66 is clear of the portions 60 and 62. The loop 68 may then be withdrawn by sliding it along the reversely-bent end portion 60 and around the oppositely-bent end portion 62. Attachment of the leader 46 of another hook 48 is carried out by reversing the procedure just described.

In the use of the invention, the fisherman baits the I hook 48 and drops the assembly of the drop wire 16 the coil spring 12 between his thumb and forefinger of one hand and allows the drop wire 16 to fall downward under the force exerted by the weight of the sinker 42 until the upper end of the coil spring 12 is in engagement with the upper fixed stop 24 (FIG. 2). The operator then grasps the outrigger 14 between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand and moves the outrigger into a steeply-inclined position (FIG. 2) while he inserts the reversely-bent upper end 52 of the nowinclined upper arm 50 into the clearance 38 between the lowest convolution of the spring 12 and the drop wire 16, whereupon he pushes upward on the outrigger 14, thereby causing the reversely-bent end 52 to force its way through the interior space 36 of the spring 12 to the top thereof. With his thumb and forefinger he pushes downward upon the upper end of the spring 12 to open up a space between its upper end and the upper bearing bead 28 and pulls radially outward upon the outrigger 14 to cause the reversely-bent end 52 to move outside the uppermost convolution of the spring 12. He then releases the thus-compressed spring 12, the upper portion of which moves upward into the clearance 38 between the upper arm 50 and the reversely-bent end 52 thereof (FIG. 1), completing the attaching operation.

, To detach the outrigger 14 from the drop wire 16, the operator again grasps the spring 12 between his thumb and forefinger of one hand while holding the lower stop 26 between the next two fingers of that hand. He then pushes downward and laterally upon the upper portion of the coil spring 12 while at the same time he pushes in the opposite direction upon the outrigger 14, thereby causing the reversely-bent upper end 52 of the upper arm 50 to move through the space above the upper convolution of the temporarily compressed coil spring 12 into a position above the interior thereof, whereupon he releases the coil spring 12. He then pulls downward upon the outrigger 14 at a position thereof adjacent the lower end of the upper arm 50, thereby pulling the upper arm 50 downward through the clearance 38 and out of the interior space 36 of the coil spring 12, thereby separating the and the outrigger 14 mounted thereon into'the water, whereupon the outrigger 14 swingsupon the lower bearing head 30 to andfro in response to the direction of the current, if any, in the water. In order to keep the drop wire 16 taut when the sinker 42 is resting upon the bottom of the water course, the fisherman preferably attaches a float or bob to the line 22 at a location adjacent the surface of the water. The outrigger 14, in addition to adapting itself to the direction of the current, if any, places the hook 48 and its leader 46 in a position where it cannot lie within reach of the drop wire 16 and thereby become fouled in the drop wire 16. The outrigger 14, being of stainless steel spring wire sufficiently small in diameter to bend easily, moves up and down with any upward and downward motion of the drop wire 16, thereby adding to the fish-attracting capabilities of the device 10. Additional up and down motion is imparted to the hook 48 and the base thereon by the upward and downward swinging or bending of the outrigger 14 as the operator raises and lowers the fishing line 22 during the fishing procedure known as chugging. In using the outrigger fishing device 10in casting and in trolling, the fisherman follows the ordinary procedure used with conventional fishing arrangements.

I claim: 7 1. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, comprising an elongated fishing tackle drop member having a fishing line connection portion at the upper end thereof, a pair of spaced fixed stops mounted upon said drop member, a compression coil spring mounted upon said drop member between said fixed stops, and an approximately L-shaped outrigger having an upwardly-extending upper arm and having a lower arm extending outwardly from the lower end of said upper arm, said upper arm having a reversely-bent upper end thereon with a width less than the internal diameter of said coil spring and with a length greater than the compressed length of said p g and said lower arm having means at the outer end thereof for the attachment of a fish hook, said L- shaped outrigger releasably secured to said spring by means of said upper end of said upper arm.

2. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to claim 1, wherein bearing elements are mounted on said drop member between the opposite ends of said coil spring and the fixed stops adjacent thereto.

3. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to claim 1, wherein said fixed stops are mounted upon said drop member at a separation exceeding the relaxed axial length of said coil spring.

4. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to claim 1, wherein said stops comprise tubes of permanently deformable material compressed into gripping engagement with said drop member.

5. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, ac- 

1. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, comprising an elongated fishing tackle drop member having a fishing line connection portion at the upper end thereof, a pair of spaced fixed stops mounted upon said drop member, a compression coil spring mounted upon said drop member between said fixed stops, and an approximately L-shaped outrigger having an upwardlyextending upper arm and having a lower arm extending outwardly from the lower end of said upper arm, said upper arm having a reversely-bent upper end thereon with a width less than the internal diameter of said coil spring and with a length greater than the compressed length of said spring, and said lower arm having means at the outer end thereof for the attachment of a fish hook, said L-shaped outrigger releasably secured to said spring by means of said upper end of said upper arm.
 1. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, comprising an elongated fishing tackle drop member having a fishing line connection portion at the upper end thereof, a pair of spaced fixed stops mounted upon said drop member, a compression coil spring mounted upon said drop member between said fixed stops, and an approximately L-shaped outrigger having an upwardly-extending upper arm and having a lower arm extending outwardly from the lower end of said upper arm, said upper arm having a reversely-bent upper end thereon with a width less than the internal diameter of said coil spring and with a length greater than the compressed length of said spring, and said lower arm having means at the outer end thereof for the attachment of a fish hook, said L-shaped outrigger releasably secured to said spring by means of said upper end of said upper arm.
 2. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to claim 1, wherein bearing elements are mounted on said drop member between the opposite ends of said coil spring and the fixed stops adjacent thereto.
 3. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to claim 1, wherein said fixed stops are mounted upon said drop member at a separation exceeding the relaxed axial length of said coil spring.
 4. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to claim 1, wherein said stops comprise tubes of permanently deformable material compressed into gripping engagement with said drop member.
 5. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to claim 1, wherein said upper arm is disposed at an acute angle relatively to said lower arm.
 6. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary separable coupling is connected to the lower end of said drop member.
 7. A quick-detachable outrigger fishing device, according to claim 6, wherein a sinker is detachably connected to said auxiliary separable coupling. 